Manchester-based food blogger, lover of all things food and drink.

Category: Dessert

As a child, we always used to make little crispy cakes, but I had never really experimented with all the different ingredients you could add to make these simple cakes even more incredible. Rory however had! This was great news for me as he showed me how by adding toffee and marshmallows, it turned a simple crispy cake into something even better. Then we decided to experiment a little bit with quantities and added mars bars for the extra kick, and found the perfect recipe for a deliciously gooey, yet chocolaty toffee crispy.

This recipe is crazy easy; anyone can make it and it’s even great to get kids involved! The actual process takes less than 30 minutes, but it does require 1-2 hours setting time. This is a perfect recipe to display at any party, or to take into work, or even just as a treat at home. Rory and I demolish these way too easily.

Only a few ingredients needed and all but mars bars can be own brand (Aldi is perfect for this), the whole recipe costing just £4.79 from Aldi, and you get plenty of butter and crispies left over so win win! The recipe makes about 25 squares (or more if you cut them smaller).

Equipment:

– 20x20cm greaseproof tin

– 1 large microwaveable bowl

– 1 small microwaveable bowl

– 1 soft spatula

– Kitchen scales

– Greaseproof paper

– Scissors

– Pen

Ingredients:

– 100g unsalted butter

– 200g mini marshmallows

– 200g dairy toffees

– 175g Rice Krispies (referred to as crispy rice throughout)

– 4 small mars bars (or 2 medium)

1. Line the tin (and sides) with greaseproof paper, an easy method to do this can be found here.

2. Weigh the butter add to a large microwaveable bowl with the pack of toffees, melt on a medium heat in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, break mars bars into bitesize chunks and put in a small microwaveable bowl.

4. Once microwave has pinged, mix this up and add the marshmallows and mix again, place back in microwave for another 1 minute 30 seconds on a medium heat.

5. Then take this out of the microwave and replace with the mars bar bowl for 1 minute 15 seconds on medium.

6. While the mars bars melt, mix the marshmallows, toffee and butter together, this should all combine and melt as you mix, if after mixing for a minute it hasn’t fully melted, place back in microwave for 20 seconds once the mars bar bowl has finished.

7. Take the mars bar bowl out and mix until all is melted, and then add to the large bowl and combine with marshmallow mix. Weigh and add the crispy rice, combine until you have a gooey mixture.

8. Break the chocolate into the mars bar bowl (or a clean bowl if preferred) and place in microwave on medium heat for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

9. Transfer the crispy rice mix onto the pre-lined tin. Now you need to flatten this mixture, use the back of the spatula to press the mix down into the tin. It should reduce by about a ¼.

10. When the microwave pings, stop flattening and mix the chocolate, then place back in microwave for 20 seconds burst, mixing each time until it has melted fully (carry on flattening if required).

11. Finally, pour the chocolate on top of the flattened crispy rice mix and smooth over until all is covered. Place in fridge and leave to set for 1-2 hours.

12. Take out of the tray (shimmy it out from each side, it can get a bit stuck) and chop into squares or whatever shape and sizes you wish! Most of all, enjoy them!

Such a simple, delicious recipe! You can find a printable, easy to read version below. Hope you enjoy the recipe and get baking!

Ingredients:

Directions

Line the tin (and sides) with greaseproof paper, an easy method to do this can be found here.

Weigh the butter add to a large microwaveable bowl with the pack of toffees, melt on a medium heat in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, break mars bars into bitesize chunks and put in a small microwaveable bowl.

Once microwave has pinged, mix this up and add the marshmallows, place back in microwave for another 1 minute 30 seconds on a medium heat.

Then take this out of the microwave and replace with the mars bar bowl for 1 minute 15 seconds on medium.

While the mars bars melt, mix the marshmallows, toffee and butter together, this should all combine and melt as you mix, if after mixing for a minute it hasn’t fully melted, place back in microwave for 20 seconds once the mars bar bowl has finished.

Take the mars bar bowl out and mix until all is melted, and then add to the large bowl and combine with marshmallow mix. Weigh and add the crispy rice, combine until you have a gooey mixture.

Break the chocolate into the mars bar bowl (or a clean bowl if preferred) and place in microwave on medium heat for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Transfer the crispy rice mix onto the pre-lined tin. Now you need to flatten this mixture, use the back of the spatula to press the mix down into the tin. It should reduce by about a ¼.

When the microwave pings, stop flattening and mix the chocolate, then place back in microwave for 20 seconds burst, mixing each time until it has melted fully (carry on flattening if required).

Finally, pour the chocolate on top of the flattened crispy rice mix and smooth over until all is covered. Place in fridge and leave to set for 1-2 hours.

Take out of the tray (shimmy it out from each side, it can get a bit stuck) and chop into squares or whatever shape and sizes you wish! Most of all, enjoy them!

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Brownies; gooey delicious little bites of heaven. I love them. They are one of my favourite desserts, so simple to make and so tasty! I decided to create a spooky version for a friends Halloween party on Saturday night, after some Pinterest searching I found a great idea to create ghost brownies. Perfect I thought, a delicious twist to gooey brownies.

I used to make brownies using a recipe including butter and eggs, this recipe was great, but it took a long time to cook and a good inch around the edge was always wasted being overdone. A couple of years ago I lived with a vegan so I started to bake more vegan friendly recipes. This recipe is indeed originally vegan, and would be except I add non-vegan chocolate to it. After a few tweaks I believe this is the best recipe for chocolate brownies. Try it yourself to see if you agree.

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. sunflower oil (plus extra for greasing)

100 g white chocolate

100 g milk chocolate

170 g self-raising flour

30g cocoa powder

180g golden caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

250 ml unsweetened soya milk (or milk)

Equipment:

20cm square tin

Electric whisk

Large bowl

Scales

Cooling rack

Greaseproof paper

Pen and scissors

The method:

To start, the tin needs to be lined. I personally line my tin up the sides as well as the bottom, I find this is easier to pull out the brownies and transfer to a cooling tray. To do this, get a large sheet of greaseproof paper, put your tin in the middle (leaving enough paper to go up the sides), and draw round the tin. Fold on each line, and then snip into the corners as shown in the pictures below.

Grease the tin bottom and sides with oil or butter, then place the pre folded paper into the tin, this should fit snugly round, then score with your thumbs so the paper bends over the tin.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grab your large bowl and start measuring your ingredients into the bowl (sieve the cocoa powder and flour), add everything except the chocolate. Get the whisk and begin to mix everything together, whisk for around 5 minutes making sure to get all the ingredients well mixed. Break up the chocolate and add this to the whisked mixture, then pour this into the lined tin and place in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes pull the tin out of the oven and leave it on the side to stand for 5-10 minutes to cool. Once cool, pull the brownie out using the paper, place the cooling rack on top and flip the brownie. Then slowly take the paper off making sure to knock back any unruly chocolate chunks, which have attempted to escape. Once cool, cut up and serve hot or cold.

If you wish to make ghost brownies, melt some white chocolate in a bowl, grab a large marshmallow, stick this to the brownie with a drop of golden syrup, and pour the melted white chocolate on top, allowing it to drip over the sides. Create facial emotions as you choose (I used chocolate chips). And most of all, enjoy!

I hope you like this weeks recipe, if you make these brownies, tag me on instagram @Chefwynd. Like, comment, share and subscribe.

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Your mum’s baking is always the best, except for my mum’s, who really is the best! I wanted to share with you how to bake a cake just as well.

A light, fluffy, cloud like sponge is all in the whisking! My mum taught me how to bake when I was a young girl. I loved helping her out in the kitchen, especially when she let me lick the whisk afterwards (I was a greedy git). This recipe is a Mummy Chetwynd classic, with a slight twist. Very easy to remember, just think of the devil (666). It’s one of the only recipes where I work in pounds and ounces. However many eggs you wish to use, double it for the flour, sugar and margarine required. So, for a standard sandwich cake use 3 eggs, and 6 ounces of everything else (changing slightly for a chocolate cake, as below).

I love the fact you can just chuck all the ingredients in; no harm no foul. The most important thing to remember is to use an electric whisk, and whisk it well!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

Buttercream:

(double this if using it for topping as well)
2 oz. butter
5 oz. icing sugar (vary this depending on your mixture)
Vanilla essence
Splash of milk

Method:

1. Get a sheet of greaseproof paper large enough to fit two cake tins on, fold this in half and place your cake tin on and draw round. Cut this out. With the remaining paper, grease the tin with butter or margarine, on the bottom and all up the sides; then place the paper in the bottom.

2. Turn your oven to 180 degrees (fan oven) to heat up. Weigh out your flour and cocoa powder and sieve into a large bowl, weigh all other ingredients for the sponge and add to the bowl, including 1 tsp. vanilla essence and a good splash of milk.

3. Grab the electric whisk, and begin whisking. This is the crucial step to a light, fluffy cake. When you whisk a cake you are adding air into the mix, this air creates the fluffy cake everyone loves so much. It’s important to whisk this for a while (a good 3 minutes), the mixture should change from a medium brown to quite a light brown (as shown in the picture below)

4. Once you are happy with the colour, split the mixture evenly between the two tins, use a knife to get an even surface. Place these into the middle of your oven, set a timer for 15 minutes.

5. Check the cake is done by lightly pressing on the top. If the sponge springs back to shape then it’s done. Another way to check is to poke a folk or skewer in the middle of the cake and it should come out clean.

6. Let the sponges rest for a minute, then get a knife and spin it round the outside, loosening the sides. Using a tea towel, turn the sponge out onto a cooling rack one at a time. After about 2 minutes, pick each sponge up and twist 45 degrees (this stops it sticking to the rack).

7. While the cake cools, you can make the butter cream. Butter cream uses lots of shoulder strength; as I lack this somewhat. My boyfriend Rory played a large part in the making of the butter cream (credit where credits due and all that).

8. Weigh out the butter in a large bowl (either wash out your original bowl or grab another one), then in a medium bowl weigh out the icing sugar.

9. Soften the butter with your spatula, beating it against the side, and then slowly sieve the icing sugar into the bowl while combining it. Once most of the icing sugar has been combined, add a splash of milk and 1 tsp. vanilla essence and keep beating it. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat it (adjust quantity’s depending how thick you want the butter cream).

10. Similar to the sponge, buttercream needs beating (mixing) till the colour starts to lift; it should go from a yellow, to a pale yellow almost white (see below).

11. I like to add jam to one side of the sponge to help it stick, but I get a lot of weird looks (trust me it tastes great), and then add butter cream to the other side. You want to pick the thicker more sturdy sponge for your base which you add the butter cream on (if your oven is a bit funky like mine and the cake has risen more on one side, add less buttercream to the thicker side to even it out).

12. Then top with whatever you like. There are so many ways to decorate cake, simply melt some chocolate and pour it on or be more adventurous. Here are a variety of different ways I have decorated cakes; usually for birthdays, but sometimes just for fun.

And it’s that simple. You need a lot of equipment for baking, but most things you use every time you bake so they are good to have in your cupboards. This is such a simple recipe with a couple of method tips you can bake almost as well as your mum (or your dad). Let me know how your cake turns out, and how you decided to decorate it.

Follow me on instagram here for more pictures of cake and delicious food!

Buttercream filling:

Directions

Weigh out flour and cocoa powder then sieve into a large bowl, weigh all other ingredients for the sponge and add to the bowl, including 1 tsp. vanilla essence and a good splash of milk

Use electric whisk to mix all ingredients (3 minutes at least)

Split mixture evenly between the two tins, use a knife to get an even surface. Place these into the middle of your oven, set a timer for 15 minutes

Check the cake is done by putting a skewer in the middle of the cake, it should come out clean

Let the sponges rest for a minute, then get a knife and spin it round the outside, loosening the sides. Using a tea towel, turn the sponge out onto a cooling rack one at a time. After about 2 minutes, pick each sponge up and twist 45 degrees (this stops it sticking to the rack)

While the cake cools make the butter cream filling

Weigh out the butter in a large bowl (either wash out your original bowl or grab another one), then in a smaller bowl weigh out the icing sugar

Soften the butter with your spatula, beating it against the side, and then slowly sieve the icing sugar into the bowl while combining it. Once most of the icing sugar has been combined, add a splash of milk and 1 tsp. vanilla essence and keep beating it. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat it (adjust quantity’s depending how thick you want the butter cream)

Similar to the sponge, buttercream needs beating (mixing) till the colour starts to lift; it should go from a yellow, to a pale yellow almost white